Eucalypt: A Tanka Journal edited by Beverley George. Issue 1, 2006 Australia's first literary journal dedicated to tanka.

reviewed by Kirsty Karkow, Tanka Society of America

There have been few journals dedicated entirely to the English forms of contemporary  tanka. Books, yes, but not many periodicals in print. And, of these, only American Tanka, Red Lights and Tangled Hair have focused on poems alone, without additional articles and essays. The first has become an annual and the last has ceased publication. Now there is another. From Australia, Beverley George has welcomed in 2007 with the bi-annual Eucalypt, A Tanka Journal.

 There has been much anticipation. George is well known for her spirited editing of Yellow Moon with its variety of poetic forms, articles and contests. Many contributors and readers were dismayed when she published the final edition of this popular journal with the idea of creating a new one concentrating on the form that, one assumes, has become her favorite and will be her trademark. George is a high-quality performer so it is understandable that anticipation kept building as the public learned about her new project… even more when it was a little late arriving!

 Am I disappointed? No. Did I expect too much? No. Am I absolutely delighted? Yes.

I could stop right here but, to whet the appetites of those who have not held and admired this newborn, I will divulge a little more. Just a little, so as not to spoil the pleasure of discovery.

Eucalypt is sumptuous and silky to the hand, a wonderful shade of green and stylishly understated throughout. It is a simple but graceful vehicle for displaying good poetry and never distracts the reader from its prime purpose which is to make more people aware of the delights of reading and writing tanka. The poems originate in nine different countries but the highest percentage come  from Australia which makes sense, as the journal's purpose is to be Australian in concept but global in its scope.

Matthew George has designed the cover. There are a few simple images and background patterns sprinkled throughout which represent the tree from which the journal takes its name.

Eucalypt is supplemented by a complimentary occasional newsletter and supported by a website www.eucalypt.info  Webmaster: John Bird

The quality of the poetry is high. Many moods resonate. A greater variety of poetic style will come with subsequent issues, I believe, as more tanka poets find its pages and know the urge to be included, but the reader is never bored.

The first page is graced by one of  Janice M Bostok's tanka. She is a favorite Australian poet who has been friend and mentor to George for many years.

eucalypt leaves

in stillness spin round

thin then broad-

eyes not yet open the pup

nuzzles into my hand

This tanka refers to the Eucalyptus tree's unusual habit, which often occurs on a calm day. A group of leaves begin to spin within the tree, showing off their narrow edges and their broader surfaces by turn. The tree can also adjust its leaf edges to the summer sun to minimize moisture loss. The poet compares this habit to another mystery of nature; the way a pup, eyes still shut, trusts the human hand.

What I see mostly, though, is a metaphorical blessing for the growth of this new journal, which, like the pup, has barely started its new life.  Eucalyptuses are grown for shade and for their wood, for oils, resins and gums. What a variety of sustenance for the observant reader.

The mood and theme moves through morning, arising and setting out for the beach or to work. Pain and healing are covered. There are poignant poems about mother.

alone now

in my mother's home

I sit down

in her favorite chair

and look down  the years

Michael Thorley crafts perfect phrases that unleash a wealth of emotion and memories that most of us can relate to.

No collection of tanka can avoid the poetry of mourning the past. I, too, have gnawed on the fibrous sugar cane but never considered how the dry tempers the sweet. Ellen Weston has dealt with this idea beautifully. Note the ambiguity of the first line.

childhood lovers

chew raw sugarcane

discard dry fibres-

recalling that sweetness

I stir my tea slowly

Tanka can record happy moments, even if poignant. Sanford Goldstein knows this.

snatches

of last night's long dream--

flicker over my cane

in that other strung-out world

how I danced, how I ran!

A poem can hold a narrative within its five lines as does this one by Ron Moss. Ron is a fire-fighter in Tasmania and knows all too well the frights and satisfactions of his job.

summer night fire

all along the mountain

wild scars of red  .  .  .

safe, she wipes the soot

from her baby's feet

"But, aren't tanka usually about love," you say?  Yes. To illustrate this, here is a very modern, no-nonsense, but sensual, example by André Surridge. Good stuff!

turn out the light

we can feel our way

from now on

no need for talk

stop my mouth with kisses

And grief! Don't tanka poets write about grief? Yes. How about this heart breaker with its lovely pivoting mid-line by Alun Drysdale?

frozen stiff

a white-faced heron

haunting dark pools

your tearless eye

stunned by your stillborn child

And tanka follows eloquent tanka to the last page where, to complete the circle, the mood winds back to the wonderful shade-providing Eucalypt, written with a lighthearted approach.

shed bark

reveals scribbly gum tracks

on a smooth young trunk

curls a tattoo of a snake

and her last boyfriend's name

       Carolyn Eldridge-Alfonzetti

This is a small taste of the treasures that lie between the covers of this new journal. I encourage you to indulge yourself.